3:46 PM, June 27, 2013

The absence of and allegations surrounding Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh are disturbing and a setback for the city, Mayor Dave Bing said today in his first public comments about the matter. / Detroit Free Press file photos

The absence of and allegations surrounding Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh are disturbing and a setback for the city, Mayor Dave Bing said today in his first public comments about the matter.

“We are about to enter into our new fiscal year starting Monday, and there is unfinished business that needs to be handled by the City Council right now, and his absence is a setback,” Bing said after speaking briefly to suppliers and vendors at an event to preview the 2014 North American International Auto Show.

Pugh, who has missed several council meetings, has been largely out of sight for much of the last two weeks. He has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the Free Press and other media outlets.

He also missed a deadline Wednesday to respond to Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr, who denied Pugh’s request for medical leave and asked the councilman either to show up to work or resign. Orr is preparing to sign an order today stripping Pugh of his pay, benefits and responsibilities. Pugh is paid $76,911 a year.

Lawyers representing a mother who has expressed concerns about Pugh’s relationship with her 18-year-old son said Wednesday they have text messages from Pugh that show inappropriate behavior. They said they are preparing a lawsuit.

“It’s disturbing — the allegations that are out there right now — and it’s another black eye for the city, and it’s something we surely do not need,” Bing said. “But right now they are only allegations, and I am hopeful that we all can come through this.”

Bing also addressed the larger issue of the diminishing ranks of city council, which the mayor suggested is due to the legislative body’s reduced authority now that the city has an emergency manager.

On Wednesday, Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown resigned to take a job as the city’s chief compliance officer in Orr’s office.

Brown’s departure was the council’s second in six days. Former Councilman Kwame Kenyatta, who was dealing with medical issues, resigned effective Friday.

“Obviously, with the emergency manager in, the authority that council had at one point in time has been negated. And so Gary moving into this position is good for him, and hopefully it is going to be good for the city,” Bing said. “He has been a stalwart for change on city council.”